Mosque Opponents Seek to Intervene in Federal Court Ruling

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- Plaintiffs who have waged a two year long court battle to halt construction of the Murfreesboro Mosque apparently intend to continue the fight.

The Tennessean reported Tuesday that the plaintiff’s attorneys have filed a new motion in the case. Plaintiffs hope to intervene in a federal judge’s ruling that allows the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro to occupy their new mosque once it’s complete.

The decision nullified the plaintiff’s earlier victory in Rutherford County Chancery Court denying local Muslims access to the facility.

“In that was just simply so that they could operate in a clandestine manner, go to the federal court without any opposition, and attempt to – what I would call- perpetrate a fraud on the federal court to be able to get the relief they were seeking.”

According to the Tennessean, the new motion claims the plaintiffs are “victims” of the Islamic Center, that Rutherford County violated Tennessee’s sunshine laws in approving the mosque’s construction, and that their rights to due process were violated by the federal hearing.